Patricia Elliott (July 21, 1938 – December 20, 2015) was an American theatre, film, soap opera and television actress.

Patricia Elliott
Born(1938-07-21)July 21, 1938
DiedDecember 20, 2015(2015-12-20) (aged 77)
New York City, U.S.
Alma materUniversity of Colorado
OccupationActress
Years active1968–2011
Known forRenée Divine Buchanan (One Life to Live)
AwardsTony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical (1973) for A Little Night Music

Early life

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Elliott was born July 21, 1938, in Gunnison, Colorado to Clyde and Lavon (née Gibson) Elliott. She claimed direct descent from President Ulysses S. Grant, John Winthrop (first governor of Massachusetts) and Mary Lyon (founder of what became Mount Holyoke College). She graduated from South High School, Denver.[1]

In 1960, Elliott graduated from the University of Colorado and then went on to study at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art.[2] She returned to work at the Cleveland Play House, the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis and Arena Stage in Washington, D.C., among others before moving to New York.[3]

Career

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Film

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Elliott began her career in 1968 with the science fiction film The Green Slime. She later appeared in Birch Interval (1976), the comedy/mystery film Somebody Killed Her Husband (1978), and Natural Enemies (1979).

Television

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Elliott is best known for her portrayal of Renée Divine Buchanan on the ABC soap opera One Life to Live, a role she played on a recurring basis from 1988 to 2011. She assumed the role from its originator, actress Phyllis Newman.[4]

In 1973 Elliott appeared in an adaptation of The Man Without a Country and in 1976 portrayed Minnie Adams in The Adams Chronicles, a thirteen-episode miniseries on PBS. In 1978, she appeared in the Made-for-TV-Movie Tartuffe. She guest starred on such television series as Kojak, the ABC Afterschool Special, St. Elsewhere, and Spenser: For Hire.

Theatre

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Elliott won a Tony for her performance as Countess Charlotte Malcolm in the Stephen Sondheim musical A Little Night Music.[5] She played the role of Dorine in the 1977 Tony-nominated Circle in the Square revival of Molière's Tartuffe for which she was nominated for a Drama Desk Award.[citation needed] She reprised her role when the production was restaged for television on PBS in 1978.

Personal life

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Elliot married Christopher V H Fay on September 10, 1960 in Clinton, Connecticut. They were divorced.[6] She also was briefly married to Peter Heath.[7][8]

Death

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Elliot died in Manhattan on December 20, 2015, aged 77. Broadway.com reported that she died of leiomyosarcoma, a rare cancer.[4][5]

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes Ref.
1968 The Green Slime Nurse Science fiction film directed by Kinji Fukasaku. [9]
1976 Birch Interval Martha Directed by Delbert Mann.
1978 Somebody Killed Her Husband Helene Comedy/mystery film directed by Lamont Johnson and written by Reginald Rose. [10]
1979 Natural Enemies Woman on Train Directed by Jeff Kanew. [11]
1996 Criminal Hearts Good Samaritan Directed and written by Dave Payne.
1997 Casper: A Spirited Beginning Mortified Teacher
1998 Casper Meets Wendy Snotty Woman
Ri¢hie Ri¢h's Christmas Wish Hazel
2000 101 Ways (The Things a Girl Will Do to Keep Her Volvo) Ruth Directed and written by Jennifer B. Katz.
2019 Grand-Daddy Day Care Terrified Woman

Television

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Year Title Role Notes Ref.
1973 The Man Without a Country Mrs. Graff Made-for-TV-Movie directed by Delbert Mann.
1976 The Adams Chronicles Minnie Adams
  • Miniseries
  • Chapter XII: Henry Adams, Historian
  • Chapter XIII: Charles Francis Adams II, Industrialist
1977 Kojak Christina Episode: ""The Godson" (S 4:Ep 15)
The Quinns Rita Quinn O'Neill
1978 Tartuffe Dorine
1981 Summer Solstice Emily
1982 ABC Afterschool Special Ellen Davis Episode: "Sometimes I Don't Love My Mother" (S 10:Ep 7)
Nurse Ellen Geddis Episode: "Euthanasia"
1984 Empire Renee Main cast
St. Elsewhere Ms. Colman Episode: "The Women" (S 2:Ep 19)
Partners in Crime Phyllis Episode: "Celebrity (Pilot)" (S 1:Ep 1)
The Cartier Affair Margo Houser
1985 Hill Street Blues Patient of Dr. Rose Episode: "Dr. Hoof and Mouth" (S 5: Ep 14)
Spenser: For Hire Edie James Episode: "Discord in a Minor" (S 1:Ep 6)
1987 Spenser: For Hire Vera Canning Episode: "I Confess" (S 2:Ep 12)
A Special Friendship Mrs. Davis
The Ladies Darlene
1988 One Life to Live Renée Divine Buchanan #2
  • Contract role: 1987–2003
  • Recurring: 2003–11
Kate & Allie Guest Episode: "A Catered Affair" (S 5:Ep 13)
1998 Men in White Girl Scout Leader
  • A straight-to-television satirical parody of contemporary science fiction movies, mainly spoofing Men in Black and Independence Day.
  • Directed by Scott P. Levy (Credited as Scott Levy) and Bruce McCarthy (uncredited)

Theatre

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Year Title Role Theatre Notes Ref.
1968 King Lear
  • Regan
  • November 07, 1968–February 12, 1969
Vivian Beaumont Theatre [12]
A Cry of Players
  • Townsperson
  • November 14, 1968–February 15, 1969
Vivian Beaumont Theatre
[13]
1969 King Henry V
  • Alice
  • November 10, 1969–November 22, 1969
ANTA Playhouse
[14]
1971 A Doll's House
  • Kristine Linde
  • January 13, 1971–June 26, 1971
Playhouse Theatre
[15]
Hedda Gabler
  • Thea Elvsted
  • February 17, 1971–June 19, 1971
Playhouse Theatre
  • Revival
  • Directed by Patrick Garland.
[16]
1973 A Little Night Music
  • Countess Charlotte Malcolm
  • February 25, 1973–August 3, 1974
[17]
1977 The Shadow Box
  • Beverly
  • March 31, 1977–December 31, 1977
Morosco Theatre
[18]
Tartuffe
  • Dorine
  • September 25, 1977–November 20, 1977
Circle in the Square Theatre
[19]
1978 13 Rue de l'Amour
  • Leontine
  • March 16, 1978–May 21, 1978
Circle in the Square Theatre
[20]
1979 The Elephant Man
  • Mrs. Kendal/Pinhead
  • April 19, 1979–June 28, 1981
Booth Theatre
[21]
1987 A Month of Sundays
  • Julia
  • April 16–April 18
Ritz Theatre
  • A comedy by Bob Larbey.
  • Later adapted by Larbey as the 1989 television movie Age-Old Friends.
  • Directed by Gene Saks.
[22]

Awards and nominations

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Year Association Category Work Result ref
1973 Tony Award Best Featured Actress in a Musical A Little Night Music Won [23]
1977 Tony Award Outstanding Actress in a Play The Shadow Box Nominated
1978 Drama Desk Award Outstanding Actress in a Play Tartuffe Won
1992 Soap Opera Digest Award Outstanding Supporting Actress One Life to Live Nominated
1993 Nominated

References

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  1. ^ Roberts, Sam (December 23, 2015). "Patricia Elliott, Tony Winner and Soap Opera Star, Dies at 77". The New York Times. Retrieved December 23, 2015.
  2. ^ Roberts, Sam (January 2, 2017). "Patricia Elliott Tony Winner for a Little Night Music and Soap Opera Star Dies at 77". New York Times. Retrieved December 22, 2015.
  3. ^ Kennedy, Mark (December 21, 2015). "Tony-Winning Actress and TV Soap Star Patricia Elliott Dies". ABC.go.com. ABC. Retrieved December 21, 2015.
  4. ^ a b Roots, Kimberly (December 21, 2015). "OLTL's Patricia Elliott Dead at 77". TVLine. Penske Media Corporation. Retrieved December 21, 2015.
  5. ^ a b Bryant, Jacob (December 21, 2015). "Patricia Elliott, Tony Winner and One Life to Live Actress, Dies at 77". Variety. Penske Media Corporation. Retrieved December 21, 2015.
  6. ^ Connecticut Marriage Index, 1950-2012
  7. ^ Washington Post Staff (December 21, 2015). "Patricia Elliott, Tony-winning actress who became soap stalwart, dies at 77". The Washington Post. Nash Holdings LLC. Retrieved December 21, 2015.
  8. ^ (via Google News)Payton, Gordon; Martin Grams, Jr (17 September 2015). The CBS Radio Mystery Theater: An Episode Guide and Handbook to Nine Years ... McFarland. ISBN 978-0786418909. Retrieved December 21, 2015.
  9. ^ "Green Slime". American Film Institute. Retrieved December 21, 2015.
  10. ^ Alpert, Hollis (May 6, 1979). "SPOTLIGHT: MOVIE MOGUL MELVIN SIMON: HIS 'LOVE AT FIRST BITE' IS A HIT". New York Times. Retrieved December 22, 2015.[permanent dead link]
  11. ^ Janet Maslin (November 1, 1979). "Natural Enemies". The New York Times. Retrieved December 22, 2015.
  12. ^ "King Lear". IBDb. The Broadway League. Retrieved December 22, 2015.
  13. ^ "A Cry of Players". IBDb. The Broadway League. Retrieved December 22, 2015.
  14. ^ "King Henry V". IBDb. The Broadway League. Retrieved December 22, 2015.
  15. ^ "A Doll's House". IBDb. The Broadway League. Retrieved December 22, 2015.
  16. ^ "Hedda Gabler". IBDb. The Broadway League. Retrieved December 22, 2015.
  17. ^ "A Little Night Music". IBDb. The Broadway League. Retrieved December 22, 2015.
  18. ^ "The Shadow Box". IBDb. The Broadway League. Retrieved December 22, 2015.
  19. ^ "Tartuffe". IBDb. The Broadway League. Retrieved December 22, 2015.
  20. ^ "13 Rue de l'Amour". IBDb. The Broadway League. Retrieved December 22, 2015.
  21. ^ "The Elephant Man". IBDb. The Broadway League. Retrieved December 22, 2015.
  22. ^ "A Month of Sundays". IBDb. The Broadway League. Retrieved December 22, 2015.
  23. ^ Roberts, Sam (23 December 2015). "New York Times: Patricia Elliott". New York Times. Retrieved January 2, 2017.
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